Monday, November 18, 2013

When Could Alex Meyer Boost the Rotation?

There are plenty of questions for the Twins to find answers to in the coming months. One of the biggest conundrums swirling around the team is trying to figure out who will make up the starting rotation. Kevin Correia seems like the only lock for a starting job but the Twins don't really want him as the staff ace. So what direction should the team go?

If the season started today, the Twins would likely enter the year with a rotation composed of Kevin Correia, Kyle Gibson, Scott Diamond, Vance Worley, and Sam Deduno. This isn't exactly the most exciting group of players and it would seem like the team would be destined for another less than mediocre year.

Another solution to add depth to the Twins rotation might be an in house option. Alex Meyer, the man most likely to get a chance in next year's rotation, just finished pitching in the Arizona Fall League. Last offseason, Meyer joined the Twins organization after being traded from Washington for Denard Span. Only one year later and he could be ready to make an impact at the big league level.

Meyer pitched most of last year for New Britain in the Eastern League. He was limited to 78.1 innings because of an issue with his shoulder and that was one of the main reasons the club wanted him to build up some innings in the AFL. His 11.5 SO/9 rate was the highest of his career and he recorded 100 strikeouts or more for the second consecutive season.

The Twins were looking for a few things from Meyer in his time in the AFL. His secondary pitches needed some work and the team wanted to see some better command from a pitcher they feel is a front of the rotation arm. He would end up finishing second in the AFL in strikeouts but he did this in three fewer innings than the league leader.

Minnesota hopes Meyer will be a boost to the rotation at some point in the near future but he needs to continue to work on command and his secondary pitches. This will help him to be a more successful pitcher at the big league level and the Twins need as much help as they can possibly get in the starting rotation.